Life-saving apparatus.



PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905.

'P. MAHONIY. LIFE SAVING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION I'iLE-D MAY 25, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES.

ATTORNEY No. 800,926. PATENTED OCT. 3, 1905. P. MAHONY. LIFE SAVINGAPPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25v 1904.

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lA/VENTOR: 7

WITNESSES %J- I 37am.

ing and lifting powers.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFTGE.

LIFE-SAVING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 3, 1905.

Application filed May 25, 1904:. Serial No. 209,635.

To all 1071 0112, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER MAHoNY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at New York city, in the county of Kings and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to improvements in lifesaving apparatus foruse on board of ships and vessels wrecked on a lee shore, whereby thecrew is enabled to establish communication with the shore in a quick,effective, and reliable manner and secure the running of a lifeline orhawser from the ship to the shore at a time when the same cannot be doneby any known means now in use, owing to the excessive force of the windfrom the ship to the shore, whereby a line could not be shot from a gunor mortar, and the height or roughness of surf and sea or floating iceprevents the launching and successful passage of life-boats.

The nature of my invention will best be understood when described inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa perspective view showing the kite and appurtenances flown from avessel. Figs. 2 and 3 are similar views illustrating modified forms ofthe apparatus. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 5, illustratingthe reeling mechanism. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the same.Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 are detail veiws of the several appurtenances.

Similar letters and numerals of reference designate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring at present to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the letter K designatesa kite of any approved construction having sufficient draw- L is thekite-line, attached to the kite, as usual, and by which the kite isflown, the said line to be accurately measured and marked at every onehundred feet or less, so that when the line has reached the shore thedistancefrom shore to ship will be accurately known on board the shipand subsequently communicated to the shore.

R, Figs. 1, 4, and 5, is a reeling device com prising abox a, havingtherein the frames 1) and c, of which frame I) is hinged to the insideof the box, as at 15, and the frame 0 is hinged to the former frame atits top, as at 16, and its lower end is adapted to be secured to thesides of the box by studs 17 or the like.

If the end of the frame 0 is disconnected, it can be turned inwardlyabout the pivot 16 and both frames folded into the box for storing awayor for transportation, all the parts of said apparatus except the kitebeing stored in the box when not in use. The box when in use is screwedor nailed to the deck. In said frames are mounted reels 2, 5, and 6 forreceiving the several lines. Between the reels 2 and 5 and secured tothe opposite sides of the frame (1 is located a bar or rod 18, whichserves as an abutment for a lever or stick used by the sailor to brakethe reel 2 when necessary.

Referring to Fig. 1, Zis a-supplementary or communicating line attachedto the kiteline L and reeled on the lower reel 5 of the reeling deviceR. S is a lantern or weight attached to the end of the line 1, and D,Figs. 1 and 3, is a parachute-shaped wind-drag.

It must be borne in mind that whenever my life-saving apparatus iscalled into use the ship will invariably be listed to or from the shore,the deck on an incline, the wind blowing with terrific force, and thecrew will experience great difficulty in moving about or doing anythingnecessary to be done on deck, making it necesssary to provide means toenable the crew to successfully launch the kite and prevent its beingsmashed or wrecked against the vessel or its rigging. To this end Iprovide the following means, reference being had to Fig. 1. The kitehaving been dis mounted for packing and storage purposes is properlyassembled in the cabin or in the most available place sheltered from theforce of the wind. The kite being in position on the shore side of theship, the end of the kiteline on reel 2 of reeling device R, (whichlatter has been made fast to the deck,) together' with a pulley or tailblock 1, having a tail-strap attached, Figs. 1 and 6, are carried up therigging, provided it is standing. The pulley or tail block is thenfastened to the rigging, the end of the kite-line L rove through thepulley carried down on deck and fastened to the place on the kiteprovided for the same. The kite-line is wound on reel 2. The kite now"being in position,

the officer in charge gives the Word, when the men holding the kite liftit up above the rail, the man stationed at the kite-line L at the sametime hauling on the same and paying out said line as the wind blows thekite clear of the ship and up until it flies on the line steady andstrong. 1f the ships spars and rigging are not standing, the kite can beflown from the deck; but the chances of success are not so certain. Thekite having flown off from the ship and toward the shoresay about threehundred and liftyfeet-any invention provides another pulley-block 3,secured in the bight of another cord 4, Figs. 1 and 7, thus providingtwo separate parts about four feet long, the ends of which are securedto the kite-line L, as shown in Fig. 1, having the pulley-block 3suspended from the kite-line L about three feet. The communicating lineZ on reel 5 is then rove through the pulley-block 3, suspended froin thekite-line and about four feet from the end of said line Z. There is thenattached the umbrella or parachute shaped wind-drag D, the purpose ofwhich is to counteract the pressure of the wind on that part of the lineZ between the pulley-block 3 and the reel B. To the end of the line Z isalso attached a lantern S, properly weighted, to be used in the night ora weight to be used in the day-time. The kit-e now flying steady offfrom the ship and toward the shore with the communicating line Z, thepulley-block 3, the wind-drag D, and the lantern or weight S adjustedand arrranged as hereinbefore described, the kite-line L and thecommunicating line Z are paid out or slacked off together toward theshore, due care being taken to keep the kite flying steady and well up.As the kite approaches near to the shore the communicating line Z ispaid out a little faster, when the winddrag and weighted lantern willdescend. The kite having flown oil until, as seen through glasses or bysignals from the shore it has reached a point over the land that willenable the lantern or weight to be reached from the shore, the kite-lineL is held fast and the communicating line Z is slacked or paid out. Thelantern or weight is lowered until it is reached and is caught by men onthe shore. Both lines are then held fast on board the ship, andaccording to instructions attached to and sent out with the lantern orweight the communieating line Z is hauled down, bringing with it thekite-line, until it is reached, when communication with the shore isestablished by two lines or cords by which a stronger and heavier linewhich is wound around the reel 6 temporarily in bearings on theadjustable frame in the reeling apparatus is hauled to the shore, afterwhich a life-line or hawser and a whip can be hauled from the shore tothe ship or from the ship to the shore, as circumstances direct.

For the purpose of further assuring a connection with the shore in casethe line Z should have parted. through accident or carelessness inhauling it down or should become jammed or fouled, so that it will notlower the lantern or weight when desired, I carry as part of the outfita float or drag F, Figs. 3

and 10, and a supplementary heavier line h,

wound on a reel 6. I11 case of such accident to the line Z I take theline L down from the rigging, sever the connection with the reel 2, andattach the line L to one end of the float I while to the other end ofthe float I attach the supplementaryline 7L and then throw the float Foverboard, as indicated in Fig. 3. hen the lines are jammed or fouledand the ends of both are accessible aboard the ship, I may of course.disconnect both lines from their respective reels and attach said linesto one end of the float and the supplementary line 7L to the other end,as before. The kite will tow the float or drag to the shore andconnection therewith be established by the line 71., which has been paidout or slacked oil from the drum 6, temporarily adjusted in bearingsprovided for the same in the reeling apparatus. The float or drag F isof just sufficient size and weight to hold the end of the line L to thewater and present a mini mum of area or surface to the action ofcrosscurrents and made pointed at both ends for the purpose of enablingthe kite to draw it easily through the water and in case of shift ofwind or the lessening of the force thereof to permit said drag to beeasily drawn back through the water toward the ship for the purpose ofmanipulating and steadying the kite in its flight to the shore.

In Fig. 2 I have illustrated. a modified method of operating mylife-saving apparatus, preferably to be used. in daylight, although thesame can be used at night by attaching a lantern to the kite-line L, asshown. The kite having been prepared for launching, as hereinbeforedescribed, the line Z on lower reel 5, which line I will hereinafterterm the trip-line, is attached to the extreme lower point on the frameof the kite and about ten feet of the line drawn from the reel 5, andone end of a short cord 7, about three feet long and of about one-halfthe breaking strength of the trip-line Z, is attached to the trip-line Zat a point about ten feet from the end secured to the bottom of thekite. The other end of the short cord is then secured to the kite-line Labout four feet from the face of the kite. The purpose of the short cordis to carry the pull or drag of the trip-line Z from the reel 5 withoutpulling or straining on the bottom of the kite while in its flighttoward the shore. The kite is released and started, as hereinbeforedescribed, on its flight toward the shore, carrying with it the end ofthe trip-line Z, which is slacked off or paid out from the reel 5 thesame time as the kite-line L. When the kite has flown off about threehundred and fifty feet, the tripline Z, still being kept slack, isbrought up to and suspended from the kite-line L by means of an openhank 8, Figs. 2 and 8, which is hooked into the loop of thestirrup-cord. The kite is then permitted to fly ofl', still keeping thetrip-line Z slack. At about every three hundred and fifty feet thetrip-line Z is suspended from the kite-line by means of a hank 8 untilit has reached the desired position over the land, when the trip-line isheld fast aboardship and the kite-line L slacked off or paid out untilthe trip-line running through the hanks becomes taut, when as the strainis transferred to the small connectingline 7 it will break, when thestrain or pull of the kite being transferred to the trip-line secured tothe bottom of the kite it will cause it to trip and fall to the ground,thereby establishing connection with the shore by two lines Z and L, asaforesaid.

By practical experiments made by me with the arrangement shown in Fig. 1and in a gale of wind the end of the communicating line Z was actuallydelivered at a point on the land over one thousand feet from the reel inless than fifteen minutes from the time the kite was released at thepoint of flight, and having secured the end of this line the same washauled down until the kite-line was secured. Ifurthermore by apparatusadjusted and operated as described in connection with Fig. 2 have in agale of wind actually caused a kite with the two lines L and l attachedthereto at the first trial to fly off and drop to the ground whendesiredat one thousand and fifty measured feet from the kite to the reelin ten minutes from the time I released the kite on its flight.

I do not in this application specifically claim the arrangement of thetrip-line with the kite-line as sh own in Fig. 2, this arrangementforming the subject of a separate or divisional application.

What I claim as new is 1. In a life-saving apparatus for ships, thecombination of a kite, a kite-line attached thereto, a tail-blocksecured to the rigging through which tail-block the kite-line is rove, areel-box and a frame adjustably mounted therein and carrying thekite-line reel.

2. In a life-saving apparatus for ships, the combination of a kite, akite-line held on the ship and attached to the kite in the usual manner,a second line supported by said kiteline and held on board the ship andforming the means for establishing connection between the ship and theshore.

3. In a life-saving apparatus for ships, the

combination of a kite, a kite-line held on the ship and attached to thekite in the usual manner and a second line supported by the kiteline ata suitable distance from the kite, its free end being weighted so thatit can be lowered to the ground by paying it out from the ship fasterthan the kite-line.

4. In a lifesaving apparatus for ships, the

combination of a kite and a kite-line connected thereto and held on theship, a block suspended from the kite-line at a suitable distance fromthe kite, the second or communicating line held 011 the ship and rovethrough said block, a weighted lantern or other weight attached to thesecond line, which when paid out faster than the kite-line drops to theshore and establishes communication between the shore and the ship.

5. In a life-saving apparatus for ships, the combination of a kite, akite-line, a tailblock secured to the rigging through which tail-blockthe kite-line is roVe and then connected to the kite in a usual manner,a block suspended from the said kite-line at a suitable distance fromthe kite, a reel-box adapted to be secured to the ship and containing anadjustable frame carrying the kiteline reel and also asecond-line reel,the second line being rove through the block suspended from thekite-line, a wind-drag attached close to the end of the second line anda weighted lantern or other weight attached to the free end of thesecond line so that when the second line is paid out faster than thekiteline, the former is brought to the ground and communication isestablished between the ship and the shore.

6. The combination with a life-saving apparatus embodying a kite, akite-line attached thereto and a second line; of a float or drag pointedat both ends and connected at one end to the ship end of said kite-line,and at the other end to a supplementary line carried aboard a ship andcontrolling said float or drag.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

PETER MAHONY.

Witnesses:

A. FABER DU FAUR, Jr., RAENA H. YUDIZKY.

